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4 December, 2006
Council Press release on the Partnership Pledge over Plans to Regenerate Former Pool Site. This confirms the Council's support for the River Centre, as devised by the Environment Trust for Richmond upon Thames. Read the full press release.
9 August, 2006
TRTG Leaflet - being handed
out at the Children's Playground, Twickenham Poolsite
Did you know?
This is not a permanent playground. It has no definite
future, and could be closed at any time by the Council.
Please support our campaign to keep it open.
What is going on?
This site was bought by the Council in 1924 for public
use. It was a swimming pool until 1980. Then it was closed,
and has been derelict until last year, when this playground
and café were built, with the suggestion that they could
remain until 2009.
What has been proposed? There have been
several schemes for commercial development of this site.
But they were opposed, so the Government appointed an
Inspector to make recommendations. The Inspector's report
said that this area should remain a public open space,
respecting the conservation nature of the site, and also
providing public toilets.
The new Council leader has promised to honour these recommendations.
What now? The playground still has no
secure future. Please sign
our petition asking the Council to keep the playground
here permanently, and to make the rest of this riverside
site a public open space.
For more information, email mail@twickenhamriver.org.uk
Twickenham Riverside Terrace Group |
LETTER TO OUR SUPPORTERS - 9 July,
2006
Dear Supporter
Councils come and go but the TRTG remains, dedicated to its
campaign to restore Public Open Space to the Twickenham Riverside
Pool Site, after 26 years of neglect.
We have had success,helping to stop several inappropriate
Commercial Development schemes. Do not forget that the present
popular Children's Playground and Café on 20% of the
site are short term and are planned to be removed at any
time between now and 2009.
Serge Lourie, the new leader of the Council, has stated that
the Council will abide by the Government Inspector's Report
on the site. The Inspector recommended:-
- The restoration of the requirement to provide
public conveniences;
- More explicit emphasis on the provision of public
open space as the predominant feature of any redevelopment
scheme; and
- The requirement that the planning brief for the redevelopment
of the site indicate
- the extent of the public open space to be
provided, which should be immutable irrespective of
the time scale of any proposals; and
- the characteristics of the Conservation
Area which justify its designation and to which new
development should have regard.
The fight to implement these recommendations is just beginning,
now is the time to:-
- Sign and obtain the support of your friends
and neighbours for the attached
petition which asks the Council to give an undertaking
that the Playground and Café be kept open up to
and beyond 2009 and that the whole site will be kept as
Public Open Space (.pdf, 1 page).
- Help by coming to our monthly meetings. Please
send us your E mail address to mail@twickenhamriver.org.uk and
we will keep you informed.
Our immediate priorities are :-
- To keep the present Children's Playground and
Café, open.
- Persuade the Council to return the remaining
80% of the derelict pool site to public use as public open
space.
- Stop the present waste of public money by the
Council on preparations for a commercial sell off.
For and on behalf of the Twickenham Riverside Terrace
Group
John Reekie, Chairman
Twickenham Riverside Terrace Group - a community Group of
Local Residents
(posted 9 August)
6 May, 2006
The future of Twickenham Riverside
Twickenham Riverside: Terrace Group comment on the Political
Parties' future plans for The Twickenham Riverside Pool
site and the Embankment.
The Richmond Environmental Information Centre's hustings
meeting on Wednesday, 26 April, at St Mary's Hall, was the
only opportunity before the local Council election to question
the political parties on their proposals for this site. They
can be summarised as follows :-.
- Support for public open space from both the Labour and
Green Party
- Development of the site by Conservative and Liberal Democrat.
It appears that nothing has been learnt by
either of the latter of the importance of heeding the public.
The Liberal Democrats after FOUR abortive major development
schemes still hanker after a Cinema on this site.
After this meeting the Terrace Group were informed by E mail
from the Lib Dem Leader that "There is no possibility
of a cinema on the site. Any development on the site will
need to be of a modest scale as a result of the latest inspector's
views and a cinema is not a starter." Serge Lourie,
Lib Dem Leader, 2nd May 2006. See below for the UDP
Inspector's views.
The Conservative Party say there is already adequate alternative
Public Open space on the river bank, and they will abide
by the area development brief. The Twickenham Challenge proposals
will be duly considered in terms of the Council's criteria,
with an announcement in due course.
Public use history
In 1924, a community-minded Council took the decision to
purchase the area between Water Lane, Wharf Lane, The Embankment
and King Street for public walks and pleasure purposes. In
1934 the open-air swimming pool was built on the site. From
1980 this site has been unused. Since 2005 an area of approximately
20% of the site now has a very popular children's playground
and café.
The Present and the Future The Twickenham
Riverside Terrace Group (TRTG) has sent to the Council's
officers over 500 copies of a signed letter from parents
using the present playground urging its retention beyond
2009, and further open space facilities for all on the remaining
derelict site. In addition we have sent a petition with 270
names to the Council.
We consider one of the principal problems working against
successfully realising this site's public use potential is
the Council's insistence on dividing the pool site from the
river embankment and in its allocation of internal departmental
responsibility. Sensibly this whole riverside area should
come under the parks and open spaces department, but due
to plans to lease the site its future is managed by the Property
/ PFI department of the Council, advised by external consultants.
Under this management, expenditure to date, currently running
at around £10,000 per week, will need to be recouped
in the future, making development inevitable.
The TRTG will continue to fight for the return of this site
to public open space. The maintenance and upkeep of public
open space is not costly. Added to other open space in the
local townscape its cost shrinks to insignificance. It behooves
on each Council to keep its public open space use inviolate,
particularly when that open space is Twickenham's central
environmental access to the pleasant banks of the Thames.
It could be the main attraction, increasing visitor numbers
to the town, and a key element in the regeneration of the
town for its traders, and for its residents, young and old,
now and in particular for a more green future.
The future of Twickenham is tied to the environment. The
reason people visit and live here is because of its river
and green open space. Open space on the river bank is at
a premium. Travel along the Thames and see the massive development
of flats that now forms a concrete jungle lining its banks
and realise that the alternative, of public use and access,
must be ensured for Twickenham.
As the Council is aware, the Unitary Development
Plan Inspector's recommendations for this site are:-
- The restoration of the requirement to provide
public conveniences.
- More explicit emphasis on the provision of public open
space as the predominant feature of any redevelopment scheme
; and
- The requirement that the planning brief for the redevelopment
of the site indicate
- the extent of the public open space to be
provided, which should be immutable irrespective of
the time scale of any proposals; and
- the characteristics of the Conservation
Area which justify its designation and to which new
development should have regard.
It beggars belief that after over 25 years the governing
parties are still not prepared to listen to public opinion,
or consider future generations. Given today's environmental
issues the decision taken in 1924 should remain sacrosanct.
It will remain our purpose to work to correct this view.
(posted 30 April)
30 March, 2006
A message to all our supporters -
Twickenham Riverside Pool Site
The Council has decided to extend the public consultation
period for the 3 Challenge proposals,which will occupy 15-20%
of the site to the 14 April 06. It is understood that there
are over 250 comments to date, which represents a considerable
degree of interest by the public to these proposals.
Full details costing, plans, with information on what Challenge
proposal provides are obtainable from the Council Offices
or web
site.
If any supporter has any view on these 3 Challenge proposals
please make it known to the Council before April 14th. You
can email the Council by clicking
on this link.
The future of Twickenham Riverside will be an election issue,
and in January we wrote to all parties asking for their views
on this important local issue. Their replies are summarised
as follows:-
Official Conservative policy is not known.
It is understood from Conservative publicity that it is proud
of the playground and café, but fails to mention its
planned removal in 2009.
Official Labour Party policy:
Develop Twickenham Riverside into a public open space with
facilities for all age groups.
Official Liberal Democrat policy is not known. It
is understood from Liberal Democrat Councillors for the Twickenham
Riverside ward that they are in favour of keeping the playground
and café but are less clear about the remaining site.
The Green Party candidate supports the use
of the whole site as public open space and the River Centre
proposal by the Richmond Environment Trust.
We are also pressing for clarification of the Council's long
term plans for both the existing playground and café and
the remaining 80-85% of the site area which is still not
used.
We have already delivered over 200 letters from families
using the playground and café to the Council requesting
retention of both playground & café beyond 2009
and the use of the remaining site as public open space.
When we receive any official clarification from the Conservative,
Labour, Liberal Democrat parties we will keep you informed.
2 March, 2006
THE REAL CHALLENGE
Twickenham Riverside Terrace Group's comment on the
Challenge proposals
Introduction
In 1924, a community-minded Council took the decision to
purchase the area between Water Lane, Wharf Lane, The Embankment
and King Street for public walks and pleasure purposes. In
1934 the open-air swimming pool was built on the site. From
1982 this site has been unused. Since 2005 an area of approximately
25% of the site now has a very popular children's playground
and café. The majority of families using this amenity
are in favour of retaining its use beyond 2009.
The Twickenham Riverside Terrace Group's (TRTG) avowed purpose
is to restore the whole site to public use as public open
space, an open air Jubilee Gardens, similar to Radnor Gardens,
terraced as Richmond Bridge waterfront. There is no objection
to a community building on part of the site. That is a building,
which caters for the needs of the general public young and
old and is in scale with the open-air amenity of the site.
Open space for public use is enshrined in local and nationwide
tradition. The maintenance and upkeep of public open space
is not costly, added to other open space in the local townscape
its cost shrinks to insignificance. It behooves on each Council
to keep its public open space use inviolate, particularly
when that open space is Twickenham's central access to the
precious banks of the Thames and should be the main attraction
to increase visitor numbers to the town, and the key element
in the regeneration of the town, for its traders, and for
its residents, young and old, now and in the future. TRTG
does not agree that the way to achieve this is by residential
and other appropriate enabling development.
Council Strategy
The present Council claims to have a 3 stage Strategy:
- Stage 1 - A temporary playground and Café.
- Stage 2 - The "Twickenham Challenge" which
earmarks 15 to 20% of the whole site for an outside body
to provide a community facility at no cost to the Council
for a peppercorn rent.
- Stage 3 - The final development of the remaining 80 to
85% of the site financed by residential and other appropriate
enabling development (Cabinet 22/4/05).
The Twickenham Challenge
These proposals will be in the public domain for 1 month for
public comment. This considering the volume of information
offered for each proposal is an inadequate time period for
the proper appraisal of the three proposals now put forward.
These are:
- Busen Martial Arts centre (B)
- Duke of Edinburgh Award building (E)
- River Centre (RC)
The Council says it will appraise these according
to its own criteria of a mix of 20 criteria.
TRTG has used a set of 5 criteria, as follows:
| Does it coexist with the present Children's
playground and future public open space? |
All meet this criteria. But dependant
on final mass and appearance |
| Does it provide a service /facility for
the whole of the community young and old? |
Only RC meets this criteria |
| Is the Challenge building dependant on
a Riverside location? Could it just as well be built
elsewhere in Twickenham? |
Only RC meets this criteria |
| Funding |
All rely on outside grants voluntary funding,
Lottery grants etc
(B £2.8 million)
(E £4.2 million)
(RC £2.7 million) |
| Assessment of viability. |
We have reservations for all 3 with regard
to their ability to raise the finance and operating costs. |
Recommendation
In view of this appraisal our recommendation is that a more
full and detailed consultation is carried out with the
local community and its representative groups in order
that a consensus of opinion is fully explored. In doing
this it should be a considered a viable alternative not
to proceed down the path of residential development. To
consider and offer the alternative of public open space
for the whole site.
After 23 years of the whole site being closed, the community
face the strong possibility of further years of delay whilst
costly protracted negotiation and fund raising is carried
out.
As the Council is aware the Unitary Development Plan Inspector
recommended at the public inquiry:
- The restoration of the requirement to provide public
conveniences.
- More explicit emphasis on the provision of public open
space as the predominant feature of any redevelopment scheme
; and
- The requirement that the planning brief for the redevelopment
of the site indicate:
- the extent of the public open space to be provided,
which should be immutable irrespective of the time
scale of any proposals; and
- the characteristics of the Conservation Area which
justify its designation and to which new development
should have regard.
The power to get a grip of this situation and
make the Riverside a truly public open space for all ages
with the present amenities in place, is within the grasp
of a courageous Council. This is the challenge that should
not be shirked due to expediency, lack of will, vision, or
understanding, of the present and future benefit to the community
of this Riverside site. Its use as public open space particularly
when that open space is Twickenham's central access to its
unique banks of the Thames. Could be the main attraction
to increase visitor numbers to the town, and the key element
in the regeneration of Twickenham.
Yours sincerely
Ron Chappell
On behalf of the Committee of The Twickenham Riverside Terrace
Group
2 March 06
19 February, 2006
TWICKENHAM CHALLENGE REVEALED
See the Rivercentre
website for details and links to the Challengers' documents.
NOTE THAT RESPONSES TO THE CONSULTATION MUST BE RECEIVED
BY THE COUNCIL BY 5PM ON FRIDAY, 3 MARCH.
3 February, 2006
Letter to our supporters
While enjoying the new playground, café and
toilets on part of the Twickenham Pool Site many of you took
part in our letter campaign for the increased and permanent
public use of the whole of the Twickenham Pool Site.
This has been an undoubted success. We are now about to follow
this up with a request to each of the political parties for
their plans for this important amenity site.
Your letter and over 100 others were each sent to the Leader
of the Council, the two Council Officers concerned, T Pugh
Director of Environment and R Angus Development Control Manager.as
well as each of the three ward Councillors representing the
address of each sender. From the standard letter which you
received in reply from Cllr Arbour you will be aware of the
statements on the importance of public open space and that
the Council has made it clear that this would be an important
element of any scheme. You will also be aware of the planning
brief T1 for the Twickenham Pool Site which was enclosed
with the letter. This brief refers to housing,cafés,and possible
retail.
What is not made clear in Cllr Arbour's letter is that the
current Stage 1 of the Council's plans, comprising the existing
playground and café with toilets, has planning permission
only until June 2009. Therefore, unless the residents of
Twickenham make it clear to the Council that they wish otherwise,
the present facilities will be removed for ever.
There is also the Council's published strategy which says
that the long term proposal will include commercial development-
because that is what will finance the regeneration of the
site as well as important environmental improvements in the
locality. The TRTG suggests that the regeneration is feasible
without commercial development, The present playground, café and
other landscape amenity were financed out of Council funds.
Together with the Challenge this already accounts for 45%
of the site. The remaining can be public open space.
What must now be ensured is positive action to implement
the community facilities and ensure that the public open
space is not just an element, but is the main thrust of the
final scheme.
What is also not made clear is what the present Council proposals
are for Stage 2 for the site. This is the so called 'Twickenham
Challenge' which earmarks 15 to 20% of the whole site for
an outside body to provide a community facility at no cost
to the Council for a peppercorn rent. The final development
of the whole site based on the T1 brief will in turn have
to accommodate The Twickenham Challenge which was supposed
to have been settled last summer from the then four applicants,
but inexplicably this has been delayed.
If you care about the future of Twickenham Pool site and
wish for permanent public use of the whole site, including
a children's play area, we ask you to assist us in this aim
by writing to the present Council and also question all the
other political parties on this matter before the forthcoming
Council elections in May.
By doing this you can ensure that promises, statements and
commitments made by the candidates are honoured and that
their plans for the site are fully and openly discussed.
Every candidate should be reminded that, in 1924, a community
minded Council took the decision to purchase this riverside
area of Twickenham for public walks and pleasure purposes.
And, further, it is our duty as residents to keep its public
open space use inviolate, particularly when every conceivable
piece of the banks of the Thames is being commandeered for
commercial purposes.
If you wish to be more involved in this campaign please contact
this web site.
The Committee
Twickenham Riverside Terrace Group
3 February 06
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